(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the continuous decatizing of woven, knitted and other fabrics.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
There has been proposed a decatizing process in which the material to be treated is pressed between a rotated, heated, cylinder having its own drive system, and a heated trough in order to consolidate the material. The cylinder entrains the material and drags it over and beyond the trough. As a result of this treatement, the material has a shiny surface at least on the side of the material facing towards the trough.
This previously proposed process is disadvantageous in that the material is elongated longitudinally during the treatment. Elongation of the material of the order of magnitude of 2 to 5% occurs. The purchasers of the material, will, however, accept a maximum tolerance of plus or minus 1%. A material which shrinks by more than plus or minus 1% during the so-called "ironing test," is useless for further processing since it causes shrinkage folds or creases in a garment made from the material. The cloth manufacturer can reduce the internal strain condition of the material to the acceptable value, only by a shrinking process. However, this shrinking process, which is usually performed by a steaming operation, adversely affects the previously obtained pressing and decatizing effect.
For these reasons, a compromise solution is implemented by using a very low contact pressure between the material and the cylinder. Although in this manner, the elongation of the material is kept within permissible limits, the resulting pressing effect leaves much to be desired.
There has also been proposed a decatizing process using apparatus comprising a heated cylinder, an inner backing cloth which is conveyed over a humidifying device prior to reaching the cylinder, and an outer backing cloth which surrounds the cylinder, the material to be treated, and the inner backing cloth in the area of the cylinder. There is no significant contact pressure applied between the material and the cylinder with the result that the material is not properly finished. Also, owing to the absence of applied pressure the material is likely to slip which results in an unacceptable elongation of the material and in a moire effect on the material, this latter effect being caused by slip between the cylinder and the backing cloths.